Alachua County may follow Gainesville's example and repeal restrictions on liquor sales hours.
After Gainesville decided to make alcohol laws the same for every day of the week, the Alachua County Commission is looking to do the same.
On Nov. 15, County Commissioner Lee Pinkoson proposed that businesses in the unincorporated parts of the county should be given the same rights as Gainesville businesses.
His motion passed unanimously Nov. 17, but county commissioners said they would not repeal their limitations of liquor sales, or "blue laws," until after the City Commission vote is final.
The repeal will be discussed in the near future, said Alachua County Commissioner Susan Baird.
She said as long as the repeal doesn't violate personal rights, it should follow the suit of the city.
"Any hour is bad if you abuse it, and any hour is OK if you don't abuse it," Baird said.
"I don't know why they are repealing it at all," said Nick Tatel, 35, manager of Express Lane Liquor in Alachua.
He said he normally gets very little business on Sundays anyway.
"I think it's good you can't sell liquor on Sundays," Tatel said. "It gives people time to go to church and not be hungover on Monday."
Most people buy alcohol on Friday nights and Saturdays, he said.
"People go to church on Sunday," Tatel said. "[People] want to be with their families on Sundays."
The Alachua County laws currently allow beer and wine sales on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Sundays, no liquor may be sold.
"What's the difference between beer and liquor? It's all alcohol," said Alan Fishman, 60, manager and owner of Spindrifter Lounge in Alachua.
Fishman has owned the rock ‘n' roll club and package store for 28 years, he said.
He said he is allowed to sell beer and wine over the bar on Sundays, and no packaged beer and wine may be sold.
"It would keep people out of trouble," Fishman said.
In Columbia County, you can sell beer and wine starting at 7 a.m. but with a cut-off time of midnight on Sunday, he said.
On every other day, he has to stop selling all alcohol at 1 a.m., an hour sooner than in Alachua County.
Fishman said the time cut also slashes his revenue by 25 percent.
"All these laws are crazy," Fishman said. "There ought to be one consistent law with it all."
